Book-binding



L. FINGER.

(No Model.)

Book Binding.

Patented Oct. 26, 1880.

Ewe/11 02".

m'i/mm. f

TATES LOUIS FINGER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

" BOOK-BINDING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,607, dated October 26, 1880.

Application filed June17, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS FINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Binding and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and durable binding for books of various kinds; and it consists in the employment of a series of tapes or ribbons of woven fabric, paper, or other suitable material inserted in slits in the edge of the back of the book and cemented therein, the said slits bein g arranged, by preference, obliquely with respect to the pages of the book, to prevent separation of the two, and the whole being as hereinafter specified.

The drawings accompanying this specification represent, in Figure l, a perspective view of an unbound memorandum-book containing the slits in the back, while Figs. 2 and 3 are like views with the ribbons inserted in the slits.

In these drawings,A representsa book without a cover--for in stance, a memorandum book of plain paper.

In carrying my invention into practice, I place the book A in a suitable press or clamp, which leaves its back exposed, and after trimming such back to an even surface I make in such back, either by means of a knife, fine saw, or other instrument, a series of slits, a a, such slits being arranged, preferably, at right angles to the back of the book and obliquely with respect to the pages of the latter 5 but this disposition of the slits may be varied by arranging them in any directionas, for instance, obliquely with respect to the back of the book and parallel with top and bottom of the pages-as I do not confine myself in any respect to the disposition, form, or size of the slits, as I consider the novelty in my invention, as distinguished from other bindings, to consist in the employment of ribbons or strips of cloth, paper, or other material introduced and connected within slits in the back of the book without sewing. I prefer, however, to arrange the slits as shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawingsthat is, at right angles to the longest plane of the back of the book and obliquely with respect to its pages-the better to bind the leaves together and prevent detachment of any one or any portion of them. I prefer, also, so far as regards the relations of the slits one with the other, to slope them in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 1, on the principle of an ordinary dovetail joint, the more effectually to prevent detachment of the leaves.

Having made the slits as explained, I next insert in each a short piece or strip, 1), of ribbon, of cloth, leather, paper, or other suitable material, preferably ordinary cotton tape linen is preferable on account of its strengthas serving the purpose well, and I insert this ribbon in each slit and cement it therein.

The strip 1) should be of a width equal to or greater than the slit, in order to fill the latter, and the length of the ribbon may be equal to or greater than the width of the slit, and the excess of the edge'of the strip may be folded down upon the back of the book and cemented thereto, as shown in Fig. 2, and likewise with the ends of the strip, if the latter is longer than the distance across the back of the book, as shown in Fig.2; or the strip may be of a width equal to the depth of the slit, and a strip of leather, cloth, paper, or other material cemented over the back of the book after the strips are inserted-that is, over the combined edges of the leaves and the hinding-s'trips.

I am aware that it is not new to make slits in the pages of a book as hereinbefore described, and to pass a cord around from slit to slit so as to bind said pages together, this being shown in Blackmanns Patent, No. 89,622, May 4, 1869. I do not claim such method of binding.

What I do claim is- 1. In combination with a book having its folded upon the back of the book and ceback edges slotted, as shown, strips of tape mented to the pages, as shown in Fig. 2. 1o filling said slots and cemented therein, snb- In testimony whereof I affix my signature stantially as set forth. in presence of two witnesses.

5 2. In combination with a book having its LOUIS FINGER.

back edges slotted, as shown, strips of tape Witnesses: broader than said slots and cemented within WM. T. ANDREWS, the same, the excess of tape (in width) being CHARLES J. BROTHERS. 

